Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-07-02
give the husbandmen abundant returns for
his time and labor.

us uiHe dilu idDOr.
CITRUS AND OTHER sEMI-TRoPIc FRUITS
In the southern part of the State in the
earliest days of the Spanish occupation the
Jesuit Fathers planted all the semi-tropic
fruits. They had been familiar with the
productions of the seni-tropic climate
and productions of Spain. They had
| and Toledo When they came 10
the coast they recognized at once that this
was citrus region and planted oranges lem
ons, lines, and citrons. 1t was far differ
ent in Placer county. The first settlers
there were people descended from the
4" Northmen who had never seen a
| semi-tropic country and know nothing of
the climate required for the growth
| of citrus fruits. Years passed by without
! any attempt to grow orange and lemon
trees for any purposes except for ornament.
Many were, however, planted in the yards
| of residences, and at an early age they
Produced LARGE QUANTITIES OF FRUIT OF
THE BEST QUALITY.
1t required several years of production
of the golden apples to convince these
children OF the Mortimer that citrus
fruits could be grown IN such high laii-
tudes and attitudes. When, however, they
were convinced of that fact they went to
work planting citrus trees with the energy
| characteristic of their races. There are
| now more than 100 farms and gardens that
have bearing orange trees. The earlier
| paintings were mostly seedlings, but
| in late years the choicest varieties
| have been planted and are now bearing
| At the Citrus Fair, in Sacramento county
in December, 1886, at which twenty coun-
| ties competed, the first prize for the
BEST EXHIBIT OF CITRUS AND OTHER SEMI
TRoPIC FRUITS WAS UNANIMOUSLY
AWARDED PLACER COUNTY.
The EXHIBIT was very large, and the fruit of
! all kinds was simply magnificent, and it is
difficult to conceive how any exhibit from
any other county could excel it. The
| fruit-growers of Placer received a large
| share of the medals and prizes for indi-
! yidual exhibits, and deservedly so. 1t is a
fact established beyond doubt or dispute
that Placer county is one of the best citrus
regions in the State.
| OLIVE CULTURE.
Olives have been grown in this county
| for third of a century in all kinds of soil
and on various exposures, and in every in
stance they have done we'll. The olive oil
! produced has been of the best quality, and
] the proceeds was so large as to make it a
profitable industry. Fig trees were planted
! in the early days of the American occupa-
! ton, and now those trees are of gigantic
| size. Through all these years these trees
! have borne abundantly. The trees were
mostly of the purple Mission variety, but
! of late years the better kinds have been
/ planted, and now there are orchards of the
| white Adriatic and Smyrna fig trees,
which are beginning to bear, and the fruit
! is fully equal to the imported article
! POmegranates grow luxuriously of both the
| towering and iruiting varieties. There are
| vineyards all over the county embracing
every varieiyof grape known TO all the eli
mates and soils of the world.
WHEAT, BARLEY, RYE AND OATS
Are grown in large quantities, and with av-
erage yields much larger than in the East
ern States.
GRAZING AND STOCK RAISING
Is an important industry, and there are
some large ranches where cattle, horses
and sheep of the better breeds are raised.
The higher mountain sides furnish fine
grazing. where stock fatten Oh the native
grasses.
TRANSPORTATION FACILITIES.
Placer county is furnished with ample
| transportation facilities by railway. The
Central Pacific Railroad runs the whole
! length of the county, east and west, for 100
miles. This railroad. running through
| this county, was the first line of any inn
| portance in the State. Ii was here that the
| far-seeing and enterprising men. who are
| covering the whole State with iron WAYS.
| commenced the work of climbing the great
| range on their way across the continent 1t
| was the building this road and its c0nnec-
| ton with the Union Pacific Railway that
| gave the almost illimitable intra-nontane
and trans Missouri country. and that vast
region farther east, to the tides Of the At
lantic, as market to the horticaiiurist and
! gardener of Placer county, and of!he hole
State. It was the completion Of this
GREAT ARTERY or TRADE
| That made horticulture in the valleys and
on the foothills iossiblc, and made the
! lands more valuable for orchards and vine
| yards and gardens than they are fer the
| gold that lies hidden beneath their surface.
| This railroad runs freight and passenger
trains for the trade and travel of this coun-
| ty almost hourly. Bisecting this county as
| it does, ii gives the settler the best Of cheap
and rapid transit. From this extend east
and west lines. At Colfax branch road
| has been built north through Placer county
| and into Nevada county. II may be well
! TO repeat here that Placer county being the
last winterless county OH this road, is the
nearest to all the markets of the country
east, and that her position, as compared 10
the rest of the State, is one of the utmost
advantage and importance The California
and Oregon Railroad runs north and south
through the western portion of the county,
and at Roseville connects with the Central
Pacific Railroad, giving transportation to
the Eastern States, to Oregon, Washington
Idaho and Montana and on the south to
San Francisco, and The southern part of the
State.
SCHOOLS AND CHURCHES.
There are AZ public school districts. with
63 schools, divided as follows: % grammar
81 primary and 10 high schools These
occupy so school-houses, and employ 64
teachers. The average salaries paid to
teachers is $50 per month for females and
SO for males. There are number of pri-
vate schools, principal among which is the
Sierra Normal College at Auburn, having
about so pupils. Number Of school chill
dren between ) and Il is 1888 Nearly
every religious belief is represented, there
being % churches.
SIERRA NORMAL COLLEGE AND BUSINESS IN
sTITUTE.
Placer county has all of the advantages
of higher education furnished by the Sierra
7 Normal College. This institution was es-
tablished in 1882 at the county seat, its
principal founder being the President, NJ
w. Ward. As its name indicates it sus-
tains both a normal and collegiate course
of study, besides having in connection with
it complete business college. The main
object of the preparatory course and the
normal course, which follows ii, is TO give
a thorough English education. Students
on completing these are expected to be able
70 receive first-grade certificate TO teach
anywhere in the State. Upon the compile
ton of the normal course the student is
admitted into the collegiate course, which
is similar to that of other higher institu-
tons of learning, ard leads to the degree of
Bachelor of Science. The college also pre-
pare students to enter any department Of
the University of California, and for other
universities. A full corps of instructors
are employed, and the teachers
have charge of those departments
for which they have been specially
trained. In April. 1887, the college
-. was Incorporated with a board of
eleven trustees. 1t was built en-
a tirely by private subscription and
SA is not incumbered by debt. The
ss -, charges for tuition are very mod
ta.lI crate as compared with those of
q as1si's as1 other educational institutions in
the State. The building, which is
z# large and commodious, stands on
-. an eynipanco ovarlool-;,,r, tba ,o,..,1